Persuaded that the "doctrine" of justification is also "gospel" -- the good news of life in Christ -- the contributors to "The Gospel of Justification in Christ" engage broadly with this crucial doctrine, addressing such topics as the unity of the Church, justification's relation to social justice, and its significance for interfaith dialogue.

When an unknown monk posted a placard of theological points on a church door, he did not know that he would cause a spiritual revolution that would still affect us hundreds of years later. But at the heart of the Reformation lay Martin Luther's great discovery, and a challenge that is still needed today: Repentance is not the action of a single moment, but a characteristic of a Christian's entire life.

Sinclair Ferguson looks at the biblical definition of repentance, how some modern churches are repeating medieval errors, and the necessity of reformation. Whereas current teaching often belittles repentance, Ferguson believes that not only is it essential for salvation, it is the concrete expression of divine regeneration. When we see what we truly are--innately, inescapably sinful--we know our deep need for God's abundant grace. To this Ferguson declares, "According to Scripture, the Christian life is repentance from beginning to end! So long as the believer is at the same time righteous and yet a sinner, it can be no other way."

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (Rom 5:1). When Paul wrote these words he seemed confident he had made himself clear. But for centuries the Pauline doctrine of justification has been a classic point of interpretation and debate in Christian exegesis and theology. And while in recent decades there have been moments of hopeful convergence among the various traditions of the Western church, the fine print often reveals more facets and distinctions than ever before. This volume focuses on five views of justification and calls on representative proponents to set forth their case and then respond to each other. The five views are: Traditional Reformed (Michael S. Horton) Progressive Reformed (Michael F. Bird) New Perspective (James D. G. Dunn) Deification, or Theosis (Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen) Roman Catholic (Gerald O?Collins and Oliver Rafferty) In addition, editors James Beilby, Paul R. Eddy and Steven E. Enderlein provide an extensive introduction to the issues informing this important debate. This distinguished forum of biblical interpreters and theologians offers a lively and informative engagement with the biblical, historical and contemporary understandings of justification. Justification: Five Views is not only a fascinating probe into Paul's meaning, it is also a case book in theological method.